Play footwear



Oct. 18, 1966 D. w. SEEBER, SR 3,279,102 K PLAY FOOTWEAR Filed March 19, 1964 BY z ATToagt United States Patent 3,279,102 PLAY FOOTWEAR Douglas W. Seeber, Sr., 45 Hilltop Drive, Penfield, N.Y. Filed Mar. 19, 1964, Ser. No. 353,084 4 Claims. (Cl. 367.5)

This invention relates to footwear, and more particularly to footwear adapted to be worn by children in play.

It is an object of this invention to provide an article of footwear, which is adapted to be worn solely for amusement, and which makes it almost impossible for the wearer to walk without losing his or her balance.

A further object of this invention is to provide a relatively simple and inexpensive article of footwear, which gives the wearer the sensation of standing on jelly, or a similarly unstable substance.

Another object of this invention is to provide resilient articles of footwear, which tend to make the wearer stagger hilariously as he or she walks.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter from the specification and from the recital of the appended claims, particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an article of footwear made in accordance with one embodiment of this invention; and

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 22 in FIG. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but illustrating a modified article of footwear.

Referring now to the drawing by numerals of reference, and first to FIGS. 1 and 2, 11 designates a toy shoe or boot made in accordance with one embodiment of this invention. It comprises an elongate, resilient plastic or rubber casing or container 12 having a generally fiat bottom 13, and enlarged ends 14. As shown more clearly in FIG. 1, the ends 14 project slightly above the central portion of the container 12; and at one end, the right end in FIG. 1, the upper wall of the container end 14 is thickened and internally threaded as denoted at 15. This defines a port in the container that is adapted to be closed by an externally threaded plug 16 which is removable for filling the container.

Secured to the top 19 of container 12 adjacent its forward or left end as shown in FIG. 1 is flexible, toeengaging strap 17. Also secured to the top of the container 12 adjacent its rear end a flexible, heel stop 18. Normally the walls defining the top 19 and bottom 13 of container 12 are disposed in spaced parallel planes.

In use, two containers 12 are partially filled with a liquid such as water. Preferably, as shown in the drawing, the containers are filled to a level L just beneath the top wall 19 of each container so that there is some air between the upper surface of the liquid and the container top, and so that there are also pockets of .air left at the raised ends 14 of the container. A :foot device or shoe 11 is then placed on each foot by inserting the foot into the straps 17 and 18 of each shoe 11. When the childs weight is transferred to the shoes, the child will experience extreme difliculty in maintaining his or her balance. The reason for this is that, when the child's weight is applied vertically downwardly on the top of a respective shoe 11, the liquid is displaced, and the air above the liquid in the container is compressed slightly; and, as soon as the child shifts its weight out of the vertical plane-cg, as when the child commences to walk forwardlythe liquid in the container will tend to shift, the air within the container will expand at one point and be compressed at another and the liquid will shift rapidly in different and unpredictable directions.

These thre factorsthe liquid, the air, and the resilience of the container wallstend to give the wearer the sensation of standing on a resilient, shaky, jelly-like surface, which constantly dips and sways in an unpredictable fashion as one attempts to walk. The result is that the wearer will tend to stagger comically, creating a lot of hilarity not only for the wearer but for onlookers as well. If desired, and as shown at 14' in FIG. 3, the wall of the casing 12 may be thinner at its ends than at top and bottom, thereby further increasing the resiliency of the container, and adding to its hilarious effect.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that applicant has developed a very simple and inexpensive toy, which will provide many interesting hours of play for children, and which, in fact, will amuse grown-ups also.

While the invention has been described in connection with two embodiments thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modification, and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth, and as fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An article of footwear for use during play, comprising (a) a flexible container having a hollow chamber filled in part with a liquid and including a separate gas pocket disposed above and communicating with said hollow chamber,

(b) means removably mounted in a port in said container to permit filling said chamber with liquid, and

(c) means on said container for removably securing the container to the underside of a persons foot,

(d) said container yielding when a person attempts to stand on said container, so that the gas is compressed .and the liquid therein shift unpredictably, thereby rendering said container unstable and diflicult to stand upon.

2. An article of footwear for use during play, comprising (a) an elongate, resilient, hollow container having spaced upper and lower walls, said upper wall having opposite ends thereof protruding upwardly and defining air pockets, said container having therein a port for introducing liquid into said container,

(b) means on said container for removably securing a persons foot to said upper wall between the upwardly protruding ends thereof, and

(c) a .plug removably secured in said port,

(d) said container being filled in part with a liquid and the remainder thereof with air, the level of said liquid normally being below said upper wall, when said container is resting horizontally on its lower wall, so that when a persons weight is placed on the container, the .air therein is compressed and renders the container unstable and difiicult to stand upon.

3. An article of footwear for use during play, comprising (a) an elongate, hollow sole having spaced upper and lower walls, and a resilient petimetral wall connecting said upper and lower walls, said sole being filled with liquid to a level which is slightly below said upper Wall when said sole is resting horizontally on its lower wall, and the remainder of said sole being filled with gas,

(b) means on said upper wall intermediate the ends of said sole for releasably securing a persons foot to said upper wall,

(c) portions of said upper wall adjacent opposite ends,

respectively, of said sole projecting above the central portion of said upper wall to form pockets at opposite ends of said sole,

((1) one of said walls having therein a port for introducing liquid into said sole, and t (e) a plug removably secured in said port,

(f) the space between said upper and lower Walls normally being quite substantial, so that when a pers'ons weight is placed upon the sole, the gas therein is compressed and forced into and out of said pockets unpredictably as the weight of the person wearing said sole is shifted, thereby rendering the sole unstable and extremely diflicult to stand upon.

of said perimetral wall.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Rogers 362.6 Carnery 36----2.6 Scott 36-29 Hedman 36 -100 Rudine 36 11.5 X

Aaskov 3611.5

15 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

A. R. GUEST, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR FOR USE DURING PLAY, COMPRISING (A) A FLEXIBLE CONTAINER HAVING A HOLLOW CHAMBER FILLED IN PART WITH A LIQUID AND INCLUDING A SEPARATE GAS POCKET DISPOSED ABOVE AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID HOLLOW CHAMBER, (B) MEANS REMOVABLY MOUNTED IN A PORT IN SAID CONTAINER TO PERMIT FILLING SAID CHAMBER WITH LIQUID, AND (C) MEANS ON SAID CONTAINER FOR REMOVABLY SECURING THE CONTAINER TO THE UNDERSIDE OF A PERSON''S FOOT, (D) SAID CONTAINER YIELDING WHEN A PERSON ATTEMPTS TO STAND ON SAID CONTAINER, SO THAT THE GAS IS COMPRESSED AND THE LIQUID THEREIN SHIFTS UNPREDICTABLY, THEREBY RENDERING SAID CONTAINER UNSTABLE AND DIFFICULT TO STAND UPON. 